Live Completely

2 Jul

“If a man is to live, he must be all alive, body, soul, mind, heart, spirit.”  ~ Thomas Merton

The problem with many people in the world?  Too shallow.  They are non-dimensional.  They are fixated only on one thing.  It might be money, fame, fortune, a better job, or whatever.  But everything else falls by the wayside as they pursue that one goal.

Some people might call that dedication.  Some might say it is the ability to ultra-focus.  I say they are cheating themselves out of living because as long as they put all of their energy and attention into that one thing, they miss absolutely everything that comes their way.  New people who could have become friends, new experiences that could have enriched their lives, and all sorts of other things are missed, perhaps never to be seen again.

Merton knew that, in order to be truly alive, we must be able to celebrate every aspect of our being: body, soul, mind, heart, and spirit.  The reason for that is because we are multi-dimensional people.  We are not just body.  We are not just soul.  We are much more than that.  We are a complex, unique blend and we must be able to celebrate all the facets of who we are in order to become who God is calling us to be.

I know to some people this might sound like a word game.  However, it is very much a reality.  We should never ignore the fact that we are the complex creations of God that we are.  If we do, we will focus on one facet to the detriment of others.  It doesn’t help us to hone our mind to become the smartest person in the world if we have a gap in our spiritual lives.  It doesn’t help us to become the best person of prayer if we do not develop ourselves and/or reach out to others.  It doesn’t matter if we are the most famous philanthropist if we ignore our family and friends.

We can only live completely when we allow all of our facets to live completely and celebrate all that God has given to us.  If we can do that, we will not only be happy and fulfilled but we will also be a wonderful example to others.

FAITH ACTION:  Make sure that everything you think, do, and say today shows you to be a person totally committed to the Lord.